In Northern Pakistan lies a cave temple with vast untapped research potential. Kashmir Smast is a religious cave and settlement site in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This site is...Show moreIn Northern Pakistan lies a cave temple with vast untapped research potential. Kashmir Smast is a religious cave and settlement site in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This site is currently dated from at least the 2nd century CE and may be one of the earliest dated sites associated with Hinduism in Pakistan, with occupation continuing until at least the 11th century. Researchers have identified Kashmir Smast as the earliest Śaivite site in the northwest based on material culture including a wide range of religious motifs found on unique seals (Nasim Khan, 2003). However, there is also evidence of Vaiṣṇava, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, and Islamic connections through the archaeological and textual evidence associated with the site. Based on a range of material connected to Kashmir Smast the principal deity is believed to be the goddess Bhīmā, associated with fortune and prosperity. To date very few studies have explored Bhīmā in detail with most studies offering her a cursory mention within the iconography found on the seals and coinage. This thesis takes this opportunity to contribute a new perspective to the understanding of this site and develop wider research around this goddess, through exploring an interdisciplinary approach to analysing religious change.Show less
Violent extremism has impacted Pakistan since its establishment in 1947. However since 2014, a rise of extremism can be highlighted due to an increase of attacks on civilians. As a response, the...Show moreViolent extremism has impacted Pakistan since its establishment in 1947. However since 2014, a rise of extremism can be highlighted due to an increase of attacks on civilians. As a response, the Pakistani government has shifted the focus away from using violence, to formulating various policy documents. Current academic literature is non-western and solely uses policy documents to analyse CVE. Through a discourse analysis, this paper uses interviews with former and current senior officials, and Pakistani policy documents to analyse overarching themes and differences on the evolution of CVE policies. Accordingly, the research question that this paper seeks to answer is: ‘What is the evolution of Pakistan’s counter-violent extremism policies and how has this affected the country's approach to addressing the threat of extremism?’ The findings indicate that there has been no real revolution since the formulation of the first policy document as they all resemble each other, and that there has been a lack of implementation. Moreover, interviews revealed that extremism is deeply engrained within its society due to the strong link between religion and governmental institutions. These challenges explain the difficulties that hinder the country’s CVE efforts. Limitation of this study includes the sample size and the online setting of the interviews, therefore future research should conduct increase the amount of interviews on the ground.Show less
Master thesis | Crisis and Security Management (MSc)
open access
This thesis assesses how United States drone strikes against al Qaeda Central in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, in Pakistan, between 2004 and 2011, affected the broader organization of al...Show moreThis thesis assesses how United States drone strikes against al Qaeda Central in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, in Pakistan, between 2004 and 2011, affected the broader organization of al Qaeda. This research was conducted by means of a 7-S analysis of al Qaeda’s broader organization throughout two timeframes: from 1988 until 2001, the pre-drone phase, and from 2001 until 2011, the intra-drone phase, across seven organizational factors, namely Shared Values, Strategy, Structure, Systems, Style, Staff and Skills. This paper found that US drone strikes directly impacted al Qaeda’s Structure, Style, Staff, Skills and Systems and indirectly its Shared Values. Al Qaeda’s Strategy remained unaffected. The drone program affected al Qaeda mostly by denying al Qaeda secure communications, killing large numbers of operatives, thereby accelerating al Qaeda’s educational and promotional processes, and by disrupting the intergenerational transfer of skills and knowledge.Show less
During the partition, more than twelve million people crossed the border to reach Pakistan or India, soon communal violence roared in which women, out of revenge and hatred, became the victim of...Show moreDuring the partition, more than twelve million people crossed the border to reach Pakistan or India, soon communal violence roared in which women, out of revenge and hatred, became the victim of sexual violence at the hands of the other ethnic community. One of the major issues plaguing women was the widespread abductions of women by men from the other ethnic community in which many women were stuck on the other side of the border. Soon after, an interdominion agreement was drafted to recover abducted women from Pakistan to India and vice versa. In 1949 this agreement was discussed again to be renewed and possibly amended. The Constituent Assembly transcript of this debate that lasted for four days has been used to investigate through critical discourse analysis which roles of women within ethnicity are reproduced and to what extent. This thesis has used the framework from Anthias and Yuval-Davis to define those roles. Women's roles as boundaries, signifiers of difference, and biological reproducers become highly visible in the debate and most of all point to one issue: the lack of autonomy and representation of the voices of abducted women. Moreover, while the distinct roles of Anthias and Yuval-Davis are helpful, they lack a relational approach to the prescribed roles of women and men.Show less
The story of Iqbal Masih is intricately linked to the history of child labour and enslavement in Pakistan. Any history of the exploitation of children for labour in Pakistan is incomplete without...Show moreThe story of Iqbal Masih is intricately linked to the history of child labour and enslavement in Pakistan. Any history of the exploitation of children for labour in Pakistan is incomplete without studying the short life of Iqbal Masih, a person who has become the face of political activism against the practice of child labour in the country. Iqbal Masih was born into a Christian family in 1983 in Muridke, a city close to Lahore. Given the poverty of his family, he was put to work at the age of four to pay off mounting debts. He was sold to a local carpet weaver in return for $12 where he worked every day from dawn to dark in the hopes of paying off the debt. Like other children there, he was tied to a carpet loom with chains to prevent his escape. At the age of ten, he managed to escape the factory where he was held. With the help of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF), a local NGO working to free children from bonded labour, who took him in and sheltered him, he enrolled in school to pursue his studies despite the physical and mental breakdown he had suffered during the years of abuse. Whilst studying, he helped in the release of about 3,000 other children from bonded labour, and travelled the world raising awareness about the problem. He hoped to become a human rights lawyer in order to better be able to fight bonded labour in Pakistan. But his life was tragically cut short on Easter day, 16 April 1995 by a gunman whilst he was visiting relatives in Muridke. His legacy remains and he has been a source of inspiration for many fighting against child and bonded labour in Pakistan and the rest of the developing world. During the 1990s there was a worldwide movement for the eradication of the worst forms of child labour with countries moving from complete denial of the problem and abject lethargy in trying to curb it towards legislation and positive action.Show less
During the first centuries BCE and CE, China became one of the larger power-blocks within the ancient early Silk Roads trade network. Extensive trade connections began to form between the Indian...Show moreDuring the first centuries BCE and CE, China became one of the larger power-blocks within the ancient early Silk Roads trade network. Extensive trade connections began to form between the Indian Subcontinent and China, allowing for the creation of trade routes passing through the mountains. The physical manifestation of the travellers along these routes is left behind in the shape of rock art, with anthropomorphic Buddhist, zoomorphic, and inscriptional carvings. The focus of this research is placed on the study of the zoomorphic rock art assemblage from the Karakoram mountain range. An international team composed of archaeologists from the Pakistani Department of Archaeology of Gilgit and the German Heidelberg Academy cooperated to document the rock art assemblage present at significant conglomerations of rock art locations, known as field stations, in the Karakoram mountain range, from 1983 until 2013. This documentation, consisting of eleven catalogues known as the Materialien zur Archäologie der Nordgebiete Pakistans, is the basis for the current research. Three aspects of zoomorphic rock art are discussed in this thesis. Firstly, the identification of the faunal depictions. Through the correlation of morphological characteristics ofextant fauna and zoomorphic carvings, it becomes possible to identify the depicted fauna. Three main Classes have been identified, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia. The majority of the carvings, over 95 percent, consists of Mammalia carvings, in particular Bovidae. Secondly, a spatial distribution of the location and composition of rock art locations was created to study potential clustering. The presence of clustering appeared to enrich the variety of depicted zoomorphic motifs. Furthermore, a dichotomy could be seen between field stations which were present alongside the Indus River, showing a larger diversity than locations more inland. Thirdly, the dataset was interpreted, by carrying out a more detailed analysis into the riverside-inland dichotomy and correlating the presence of the zoomorphic motifs with the Buddhist motifs, strengthening past hypotheses and introducing new areas of interest for future archaeological research. The results of this thesis are laying the foundations for research into the available zoomorphic motifs, and the broader rock art assemblage of the Karakoram mountain range.Show less
The purpose of this research paper is to analyse the major constraints faced by women in attaining employment and education opportunities, living in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa situated in...Show moreThe purpose of this research paper is to analyse the major constraints faced by women in attaining employment and education opportunities, living in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa situated in Pakistan. It looks at different aspects of religion and regional culture as the natural causes that have fostered this gender discriminatory environment. Moreover, it looks at the role the government has played through public policy over the last decade through a critical lens. It provides insights into the minds of ten working women from KPK regarding this matter through primary semistructured interviews and describes their experiences. The goal of this paper is to spread awareness regarding the state of gender disparity and root factors that cause and facilitate it in KPK. The paper concludes by providing a list of recommendations for the state to possibly implement that could tackle the state of worsening gender disparity .The state of Pakistan has been facing numerous economic and social issues and effective incorporation of women in the labour force could be one of the best way to tackle it and achieve inclusive and societal development.Show less
Over the centuries the Silk Road networks spanned from Europe till Eastern Asia. The diverse cultures and traditions that existed along these networks has always been an area of interest for...Show moreOver the centuries the Silk Road networks spanned from Europe till Eastern Asia. The diverse cultures and traditions that existed along these networks has always been an area of interest for scholars. This paper focuses on the Northern reaches of the ancient region of Gandhara, which is a region in the North of present day Pakistan. This paper focuses on Buddhist anthropomorphic images found along the Indus river course that would have been used by merchants and traders to travel from the northern regions of Asia towards the southern regions. By analyzing the Buddhist anthropomorphic rock carvings found within this area, further information on the diversity of interactions can be gained and deeper knowledge of the intricacies of the Silk Road networks can be gained. The dataset I present produces an interesting result in terms of interactivity along these trade routes. From the evidence found, it becomes clear that throughout the long history of this trade route, different ideas of religion and religious imagery was transmitted from the southern regions northwards and vice versa. By conducting a stylistic and iconographic analysis on specific Buddhist anthropomorphic images from this dataset, I argue that there is a certain fusion of Buddhist imagery taking place within the research area.Show less
This research examines support for the Mujahideen insurgency in Afghanistan during the Cold War. It provides critical literature analysis of intelligence reports created during the conflict. It...Show moreThis research examines support for the Mujahideen insurgency in Afghanistan during the Cold War. It provides critical literature analysis of intelligence reports created during the conflict. It then explains key choices within the proxy war through International Relations theory.Show less
Cross-border terrorism has been on the rise in South Asia, thereby costing lives of thousands civilians and creating an immense security threat. This thesis examines the influence of the Kashmir...Show moreCross-border terrorism has been on the rise in South Asia, thereby costing lives of thousands civilians and creating an immense security threat. This thesis examines the influence of the Kashmir conflict on Pakistan's political role in the War on Terror. It argues that there exists a counterterrorist gap in the War on Terror due to the spill-over effects of the Kashmir conflict. This has resulted into Pakistan's ambiguous role in the post-9/11 period, which in turn explains the security threat.Show less
This thesis studies India's diplomatic relations with its western neighbours- namely- Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the context of increasing threats to its domestic and regional security, India has...Show moreThis thesis studies India's diplomatic relations with its western neighbours- namely- Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the context of increasing threats to its domestic and regional security, India has adopted a "soft power" approach in achieving its strategic interests. Through qualitative case selection, this thesis dwells into India's diplomatic approach especially through the study of water diplomacy in the case of Pakistan and public diplomacy in the case of Afghanistan. In this context, this thesis associate security concerns of the three countries with their national interests, particularly focusing on India. The underlying conclusion of this thesis is that while a hard power approach or use of coercion may serve as a base to further "soft power" approach, India needs to maintain a delicate balance between the two approaches for achieving regional stability and ensuring national security.Show less
Op 11 mei 2013 ging Pakistan stemmen. De verwachtingen rond de verkiezingen waren hooggespannen. De nieuwe PTI-partij onder leiding van oud-professioneel cricketer Imram Khan veroorzaakte een...Show moreOp 11 mei 2013 ging Pakistan stemmen. De verwachtingen rond de verkiezingen waren hooggespannen. De nieuwe PTI-partij onder leiding van oud-professioneel cricketer Imram Khan veroorzaakte een frisse wind in de wat statistische Pakistaanse politieke arena, campagnes vonden plaats met een voor Pakistan ongekend enthousiasme en het vertrouwen van de kiezers in de stembusgang was bijzonder hoog. Hoewel de stembusgang gebukt ging onder een reeks van bloedige aanslagen bedroeg de opkomst meer dan 65%, een opmerkelijke prestatie in een land waar politiek lang slechts voorbehouden was aan de ‘the chosen few’. Het succes van de verkiezingen duidt op een significante ontwikkeling in Pakistan, waar na decennia lang autoritair bewind door het leger, democratie eindelijk grote delen van de bevolking lijkt te kunnen mobiliseren.Show less
